There have been reports of a Chris Jericho return to WWE, but it won’t be at the 2026 Royal Rumble if his previous comments are anything to go by.
Jericho teased a WWE return on social media amid reports his AEW contract is set to expire at the end of the year.
Fans have begun to speculate on a return at the 2026 Royal Rumble, which is taking place in Saudi Arabia for the first time.
However, Jericho has previously slammed his experience of working in Saudi Arabia and suggested he’d be very unlikely to return.
Chris Jericho hated working in Saudi Arabia during WWE Greatest Royal Rumble
Jericho pocketed thousands for a WWE Saudi Arabia appearance in 2018, but he hated the experience of travelling to the Middle East.
“Saudi Arabia is a very strange place,” said Jericho in an interview with Inside the Ropes. Y2J had the journey from hell to get to the Middle East and pondered whether the money was even worth it.
“I don’t need this s—,” said Jericho. “The money that I made, I started to think, ‘This is not worth it. I don’t want to come back here.’”
Despite receiving $100,000 for a four-minute match at the Greatest Royal Rumble, the star said he’d need to get paid far more to return to the country.
“That was Saudi Arabia for ya,” said the star. “Now that I know how much money they made, they’re gonna have to pay me triple to come back.”
Jericho’s return to WWE looks incredibly likely, but he may need persuading to return at the Royal Rumble.
Five potential matches for a Chris Jericho return
Jericho’s time in AEW petered up with several fans becoming tired of the star, but a refresh in WWE could work wonders for the icon.
There are a number of rising stars who Jericho is yet to face after his seven-year absence from the company.
The likes of Dominik Mysterio, Carmelo Hayes, Penta, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed have never had the chance of facing the star.
That’s not even taking into account the chance to reignite his excellent AEW feud with Cody Rhodes.